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List of governors of Minnesota facts for kids

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The following is a list of governors of the state of Minnesota and Minnesota Territory, United States. The officeholder, who serves as head of government of Minnesota, and is charged with ensuring the faithful execution of the state's laws, is empowered to name state commissioners and department heads and to approve or veto bills passed by the Minnesota Legislature. The governor of Minnesota also serves as commander-in-chief of the Minnesota National Guard.

Henry H. Sibley was elected the first governor in a statewide election held on October 13, 1857, and took office following Minnesota's entry into the Union as the 32nd state on May 11, 1858. At the time, the governor and lieutenant governor were elected on separate ballots to terms lasting two years. Prior to 1886, statewide elections were held on odd years. Because of this change (the result of an 1883 state constitutional amendment), Lucius F. Hubbard's second term as governor lasted three years. With the passage of a 1958 state constitutional amendment, the terms of governor and lieutenant governor increased to four-years in 1963. A 1972 state constitutional amendment provided for the joint election of the governor and lieutenant governor starting in 1974.

The numerals indicate the consecutive time in office served by a single person. For example, William R. Marshall served two consecutive terms and is counted as the fifth state governor (not the fifth and sixth). Henry A. Swift assumed the governorship after the resignation of Alexander Ramsey, serving out the remainder of what would have been Ramsey's second term. The fact that Swift was not voted into office does not affect the numbering, which makes him the 3rd governor. Rudy Perpich served two non-consecutive terms and is counted chronologically as both the 34th and the 36th governor. Because of this, the list below contains 41 governorships, but only 40 men.

Prior to its organization as a territory, portions of Minnesota were part of the Northwest Territory, Indiana Territory, Louisiana Territory (later renamed Missouri Territory), Illinois Territory, Michigan Territory, Wisconsin Territory, and Iowa Territory; see the lists of governors of Ohio, Indiana, Missouri, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Iowa for this period.

Four governors were born outside the United States: Knute Nelson was born in Norway, John Lind and Adolph Olson Eberhart were both born in Sweden, and Hjalmar Petersen was born in Denmark. 16 of the 41 governors to date were actually born in Minnesota. Five governors have resigned from office, and three have died in office.

Territorial governors

Territorial governors of Minnesota
No. Governor Term of office Party Place of birth Appointed by
1 Alexander Ramsey - Brady-Handy.jpg   Alexander Ramsey June 1, 1849

May 15, 1853
Whig Pennsylvania Zachary Taylor
2 WillisGorman.jpg   Willis A. Gorman May 15, 1853

April 23, 1857
Democratic Kentucky Franklin Pierce
3 SamuelMedary.jpg   Samuel Medary April 23, 1857

May 24, 1858
Democratic Pennsylvania James Buchanan

State governors

      Democratic (4)           Farmer-Labor (3)           Republican (26)           Democratic-Farmer-Labor (7)           Reform/Independence (1)

Governor Served Party Election Birthplace Lieutenant Governor
1 HHSibley-official.jpg   Henry H. Sibley
February 20, 1811 – February 18, 1891
(aged 74)
May 24, 1858

January 2, 1860
Democratic 1857 Michigan Territory   William Holcombe
2 RamseyOilCrop.jpg   Alexander Ramsey
September 8, 1815 – April 22, 1903
(aged 87)
January 2, 1860

July 10, 1863
Republican 1859 Pennsylvania   Ignatius L. Donnelly
1861 Henry A. Swift
3 HASwift-official.jpg   Henry A. Swift
March 23, 1823 – February 25, 1869
(aged 45)
July 10, 1863

January 11, 1864
Republican Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
Ohio Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
4 StephenMiller.jpg   Stephen Miller
January 7, 1816 – August 18, 1881
(aged 65)
January 11, 1864

January 8, 1866
Republican 1863 Pennsylvania   Charles D. Sherwood
5 WRMarshall.jpg   William R. Marshall
October 17, 1825 – January 8, 1896
(aged 70)
January 8, 1866

January 9, 1870
Republican 1865 Missouri   Thomas H. Armstrong
1867
6 Horace Austin (1873).jpg   Horace Austin
October 13, 1831 – November 2, 1905
(aged 74)
January 9, 1870

January 7, 1874
Republican 1869 Connecticut   William H. Yale
1871
7 CushmanDavisOil.jpg   Cushman K. Davis
June 16, 1838 – November 27, 1900
(aged 62)
January 7, 1874

January 7, 1876
Republican 1873 New York   Alphonso Barto
8 JohnSPills.jpg   John S. Pillsbury
July 29, 1827 – October 18, 1901
(aged 74)
January 7, 1876

January 10, 1882
Republican 1875 New Hampshire   James Wakefield
1877
1879 Charles A. Gilman
9 LFHubbard-official.jpg   Lucius F. Hubbard
January 26, 1836 – February 5, 1913
(aged 74)
January 10, 1882

January 5, 1887
Republican 1881 New York
1883
10 AndrewMcgill.jpg   Andrew R. McGill
February 19, 1840 – October 31, 1905
(aged 65)
January 5, 1887

January 9, 1889
Republican 1886 Pennsylvania   Albert E. Rice
11 LFHubbard-official.jpg   William R. Merriam
July 26, 1849 – February 18, 1931
(aged 81)
January 9, 1889

January 4, 1893
Republican 1888 New York
1890 Gideon S. Ives
12 Knute Nelson portrait 1895.jpg   Knute Nelson
February 2, 1843 – April 28, 1923
(aged 80)
January 9, 1893

January 31, 1895
Republican 1892 Norway   David M. Clough
1894
13 DavidClough.jpg   David M. Clough
December 27, 1846 – August 28, 1924
(aged 77)
January 31, 1895

January 2, 1899
Republican 1896 New Hampshire   Frank A. Day
1898 John L. Gibbs
14 John Lind, governor of Minnesota.jpg   John Lind
March 25, 1854 – September 18, 1930
(aged 77)
January 2, 1899

January 7, 1901
Democratic 1898 Sweden   Lyndon A. Smith
15 SRVanSant-official.jpg   Samuel R. Van Sant
May 11, 1844 – October 3, 1936
(aged 92)
January 7, 1901

January 4, 1905
Republican 1900 Illinois
1902 Ray W. Jones
16 JohnJohnson.jpg   John A. Johnson
July 28, 1861 – September 21, 1909
(aged 48)
January 4, 1905

September 21, 1909
Democratic 1904 Minnesota
1906 Adolph O. Eberhart
17 AOEberhart-official.jpg   Adolph Olson Eberhart
June 30, 1870 – December 6, 1944
(aged 74)
September 21, 1909

January 5, 1915
Republican 1908 Sweden   Edward E. Smith
1910 Samuel Y. Gordon
1912 J. A. A. Burnquist
18 WinfieldSHammond.jpg   Winfield S. Hammond
November 17, 1863 – December 30, 1915
(aged 52)
January 5, 1915

December 30, 1915
Democratic 1914 Massachusetts
19 JAABurnquist-official.jpg   J. A. A. Burnquist
July 21, 1879 – January 12, 1961
(aged 81)
December 30, 1915

January 5, 1921
Republican 1916 Iowa   George H. Sullivan
1918 Thomas Frankson
20 JacobPreus.jpg   J. A. O. Preus
August 28, 1883 – May 24, 1961
(aged 77)
January 5, 1921

January 6, 1925
Republican 1920 Wisconsin   Louis L. Collins
1922
21 TheodoreChristianson.jpg   Theodore Christianson
September 12, 1883 – December 9, 1948
(aged 77)
January 6, 1925

January 6, 1931
Republican 1924 Minnesota   William I. Nolan
1926
1928 Charles Edward Adams
22 Painting of Governor Floyd B. Olson.jpg   Floyd B. Olson
November 13, 1891 – August 22, 1936
(aged 44)
January 6, 1931

August 22, 1936
Farmer-Labor 1930 Minnesota   Henry M. Arens
1932 Konrad K. Solberg
1934 Hjalmar Petersen
23 Hjalmar Petersen.jpg   Hjalmar Petersen
January 2, 1890 – March 29, 1968
(aged 78)
August 22, 1936

January 4, 1937
Farmer-Labor Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
Denmark   William B. Richardson
(acting)
24 Elmer Austin Benson.jpg   Elmer A. Benson
September 22, 1895 – March 13, 1985
(aged 89)
January 4, 1937

January 2, 1939
Farmer-Labor 1936 Minnesota   Gottfrid T. Lindsten
25 HaroldStassenOfficialOil.jpg   Harold E. Stassen
April 13, 1907 – March 4, 2001
(aged 93)
January 2, 1939

April 27, 1943
Republican 1938 Minnesota   C. Elmer Anderson
1940
1942 Edward J. Thye
26 EdwardThye.jpg   Edward J. Thye
April 26, 1896 – August 28, 1969
(aged 73)
April 27, 1943

January 8, 1947
Republican South Dakota   Archie H. Miller
1944
1946 C. Elmer Anderson
27 Luther Youngdahl 1949 (cropped).jpg   Luther W. Youngdahl
May 29, 1896 – June 21, 1978
(aged 82)
January 8, 1947

September 27, 1951
Republican 1948 Minnesota
1950
28 C. Elmer Anderson.jpg   C. Elmer Anderson
March 16, 1912 – January 22, 1998
(aged 85)
September 27, 1951

January 5, 1955
Republican Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
Minnesota Vacant
1952   Ancher Nelsen
Donald O. Wright
29 Orville L. Freeman (MN).png   Orville L. Freeman
May 9, 1918 – February 20, 2003
(aged 84)
January 5, 1955

January 2, 1961
Democratic-Farmer-Labor 1954 Minnesota   Karl F. Rolvaag
1956
1958
30 Elmer L. Andersen.jpg   Elmer L. Andersen
June 17, 1909 – November 15, 2004
(aged 95)
January 2, 1961

March 25, 1963
Republican 1960 Illinois
31 Karl Rolvaag.jpg   Karl Rolvaag
July 18, 1913 – December 20, 1990
(aged 77)
March 25, 1963

January 2, 1967
Democratic-Farmer-Labor 1962 Minnesota   Sandy Keith
32 Harold LeVander (cropped).jpg   Harold LeVander
October 10, 1910 – March 30, 1992
(aged 81)
January 2, 1967

January 4, 1971
Republican 1966 Nebraska   James B. Goetz
33 Wendell R. Anderson (MN).jpg   Wendell R. Anderson
February 1, 1933 – July 17, 2016
(aged 83)
January 4, 1971

December 29, 1976
Democratic-Farmer-Labor 1970 Minnesota   Rudy Perpich
1974
34 Rudy Perpich.jpg   Rudy Perpich
June 27, 1928 – September 21, 1995
(aged 67)
December 29, 1976

January 4, 1979
Democratic-Farmer-Labor Succeeded from
Lieutenant
Governor
Minnesota   Alec G. Olson
35 Al Quie 1977 congressional photo.jpg   Al Quie
(1923-09-18) September 18, 1923 (age 100)
January 4, 1979

January 3, 1983
Independent-Republican 1978 Minnesota   Lou Wangberg
36 Rudy Perpich.jpg   Rudy Perpich
June 27, 1928 – September 21, 1995
(aged 67)
January 3, 1983

January 7, 1991
Democratic-Farmer-Labor 1982 Minnesota   Marlene Johnson
1986
37 ArneCarlson.jpg   Arne H. Carlson
(1934-09-24) September 24, 1934 (age 89)
January 7, 1991

January 4, 1999
Independent-Republican/
Republican
1990 New York   Joanell M. Dyrstad
1994 Joanne Benson
38 Jesse Ventura 1996.jpg   Jesse Ventura
(1951-07-15) July 15, 1951 (age 72)
January 4, 1999

January 6, 2003
Reform/Independence 1998 Minnesota   Mae A. Schunk
39 Tim Pawlenty official photo.jpg   Tim Pawlenty
(1960-11-27) November 27, 1960 (age 63)
January 6, 2003

January 3, 2011
Republican 2002 Minnesota   Carol Molnau
2006
40 Governor Dayton (cropped).jpg   Mark Dayton
(1947-01-26) January 26, 1947 (age 77)
January 3, 2011

January 7, 2019
Democratic-Farmer-Labor 2010 Minnesota   Yvonne Prettner Solon
2014 Tina Smith
  Michelle Fischbach
41 Tim Walz official photo (cropped 2).jpg   Tim Walz
(1964-04-06) April 6, 1964 (age 59)
January 7, 2019

Incumbent
Democratic-Farmer-Labor 2018 Nebraska   Peggy Flanagan
2022

See also

Other high offices held

This is a table of congressional and other federal offices held by governors. All representatives and senators mentioned represented Minnesota except where noted. * denotes offices that the governor resigned to take.

Governor Gubernatorial term(s) U.S. Congress Other offices held
House Senate
Alexander Ramsey 1849–1853 (territorial)
1860–1863
H S* U.S. Secretary of War
Willis A. Gorman 1853–1857 (territorial) U.S. Representative (Indiana)
Henry H. Sibley 1858–1860 U.S. Congressional Delegate (Wisconsin Territory, Minnesota Territory)
Cushman K. Davis 1874–1876 S
Knute Nelson 1893–1895 H S*
John Lind 1899–1901 H
Winfield S. Hammond 1915 H
Theodore Christianson 1925–1931 H
Elmer A. Benson 1937–1939 S
Edward J. Thye 1943–1947 S
Luther W. Youngdahl 1947–1951 U.S. District Court Judge*
Orville L. Freeman 1955–1961 U.S. Secretary of Agriculture
Karl F. Rolvaag 1963–1967 U.S. Ambassador to Iceland
Wendell R. Anderson 1971–1976 S*
Al Quie 1979–1983 H
Mark Dayton 2011–2019 S
Tim Walz 2019– H
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